Actual or virtual habitats? Commentary to 'Manual for monitoring species and habitats of EC interest (Directive 92/43/CEE) in Italy: habitats'

This is a letter sent recently to the authors of the “Manuals for monitoring species and habitats of EC interest (Directive 92/43/CEE) in Italy: habitats”. Critical comments are raised about the description of Apennine beech forests with Taxus baccata and Ilex aquifolium (Habitat 9210*) and the methods proposed for forest measurement and sampling. The described scenario about this forest habitat is considered unrealistic.